Supermarket Perimeter - May 2023 - 12

BREAKFAST BUSINESS IS BOOMING
As many consumers are continuing to work from home, the way
they are shopping for breakfast is different.
If consumers no longer have a commute to work, they are not
stopping for coffee and breakfast at a restaurant or coffee shop in
the morning, Atkins pointed out. The trend she is seeing more is
consumers buying breakfast items from instore bakeries that will
stay fresh in their homes for a few days so they have breakfast
ready to go when they wake up and start working.
" A positive sales trend that we are seeing post-pandemic is that
breakfast continues to grow in sales, " Atkins said. " As we look
at how the consumer's day has changed, breakfast foods will
continue to be a sales in-unit driver in retail. "
right now, including matcha, rose and tahini. She also sees Latin
American and Chinese items growing in popularity in the bakery.
" Mexican bakery continues to grow after years of Mexican cuisine
outside of the bakery being a source of inspiration, " Conaghan said.
" We now see things like churros - even used as a flavor - mangonada,
again as a flavor, and item types like concha growing. Also growing in
bakery are Chinese items with many food-forward consumers learning
of such flavors from new cookbooks or learning of new holidays such
as increased awareness of things like moon cakes. "
In its annual FoodBytes report, Datassential shared its list of top 10
2023 flavor trends for individual ingredients.
One of trending ingredients is mushrooms, bringing a nostalgic earthy
flavor to foods. Regarding the whole health concept that IDDBA is focused
on, Atkins also pointed out that mushrooms are making a comeback.
" Mushrooms have a lot of health benefits to people, " she said. " It's
coming back in bakery as well as deli and foodservice. "
Atkins also mentioned that chestnut flour from Mediterranean
cuisine is becoming popular as a gluten-free option, and using insects
milled down into flour for protein is gaining traction. She said that for
many people in other countries, insect protein has been a great way to
combat food insecurity.
Another ingredient Datassential ranked in the top 10 is yuzu, an
aromatic East Asian citrus fruit that traditionally is used in ponzu sauce.
It has a bright yellow color like a lemon.
Ube, a semisweet purple yam found in a variety of Filipino cuisines,
also made the list. It is especially popular due to its natural lavender
color, making instore bakery items stand out. For Millennials and Gen
Z, it gives them a lot of opportunities to create interesting food-related
content on TikTok and Instagram.
" Colors are making a big impact in the way people are eating, " said
John Stephanian, vice president of global culinary and innovation
at Chicago-based ADM. " That could be influenced by social media,
just having some things that are very vibrant. There's kind of a health
and wellness connection to that, too. For a while, people said eat the
12 - MAY 2023
rainbow and try to add all of these colors to your diet, and I'm definitely
seeing a resurgence when it comes to colors specifically. "
Atkins agreed that yuzu and ube are creating a lot of buzz for instore
bakeries.
" As the bakery industry continues to be innovative, flavors like
ube and yuzu as ingredients will continue to set them apart in the
consumer's mind and reach the Millennial and Gen Z consumer that's
looking for that new twist and that foodie that wants to stay on top of
the latest trends. "
" Consumers are definitely more engaged with some of the ingredients
that are more progressive and willing to try new things, " Stephanian said.
One way that instore delis are helping consumers " eat the rainbow "
is with poke bowls, a Hawaiian cuisine with Japanese influence. Poke
is a convenient and healthy grab-and-go option that has a balance of
protein, fat and carbohydrates along with a lot of vitamins from the
different vegetables.
Geneva-based Firmenich Inc. placed dragon fruit as a top trending
ingredient. Similarly to yuzu and ube, it was for both the fruit's color
and flavor.
" It's brave and fearless, a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes
optimism and joy, " said Mikel Cirkus, global creative director for taste
and beyond at Firmenich. " Our 2023 choice of dragon fruit reflects the
global consumer's increasingly adventurous palate and desire for the
new or exotic when it comes to ingredients and taste. "
" Dragon fruit may be still a 'rare' fruit flavor for food and beverage
brands, but it is no longer rare to consumers, " said Jeff Schmoyer, global
head of human insights at Firmenich. " It's possible that the initial lag in new
product innovation is in part related to the challenge of realizing the flavor
of dragon fruit. Our consumer research shows that the fruit can sometimes
surprise people by not having the strong flavor to match its visual
appearance. Instead, the taste is light, refreshing, sweet and delicious. "
While research and data have identified all of these popular flavors
from so many different countries, the common denominator is that
consumers want the world.
Arlette - stock.adobe.com
Supermarket Perimeter - May 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - May 2023
